After the doors are opened
by dangerusliasons
Summary: Sequel to Elevator Talk


Title: After the doors are opened. 

Author: Brandy

Paring: Gibbs/Kate

Category: Romance

Summary: Sequel to Elevator Talk. No spoilers. 

Disclaimer: Not mine! 

I head out to my car, and turn the engine on. Still thinking about the mumbling I heard before we went our separate ways. He was close enough so I could make out some of it. It was something like, "Why do you have to do this to me?" I don't know what he meant by that but I think he liked the fact that we were stuck on the elevator. I could defiantly hear a sad tone in his voice when he said, "They got the doors open." I didn't want the techs to get the doors open. I wanted to stay with him, my head on his shoulder, not saying anything just relaxing against him. Listening to the sounds of his breathing, and the minuet sounds of pain that emanated from him every couple of minutes. I knew his shoulder had to be killing him but how could he do paperwork with his shoulder like that? 

I pull up to my building, get out and slowly trudge the stairs to my apartment. My feet are like cement blocks, and my head hurts so I decide to get a shower before heading to bed and the few precious hours of sleep I am about to partake of. I know of whom I'll be thinking of in my dreams; he will be there just like he is every night. I turn on the water so it's hot but not scalding and shed my clothes, jumping into the shower to savor the warm, pulsating spray hitting the tired muscles on my neck and back. If his shoulder weren't still injured, I would have asked him to give me a back rub. I doubt he would have done it, even if he'd wanted to. I quickly lather my hair and rinse it clean. Then I do my body, and rinse off. Jumping out of the shower and grab a towel, wrapping it around me for the short walk to the bedroom and my nightclothes, I slip into my silk gown and slip under the covers. My hair is still wet but will be dry by the time I wake up. I close my eyes and my thoughts turn to the silvery haired man I was stuck in the elevator with just a few hours before. I smile to myself. * If you only knew what you did to me Jethro Gibbs. * I awake to the ringing of my phone; I flop over and reach it. 

"Hello?" I answer sleepily.

"Kate, are you alright?" Comes Gibbs' worried voice over the line. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just catching up on the sleep you said I could get." I reply, wondering why he's worried. 

"Oh, did I wake you?" He says, I can't see him but I'm sure he's smiling on the other end.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact you did." I rub my eyes and flop back against my pillows.

"Dreaming of some tall, dark and handsome stranger perhaps?" His tone is playful but still professional.

"Maybe. I didn't know you were interested in my dreams, Gibbs." I smartly reply. If he's trying to bait me, he'll have to try a lot harder. 

"I'm not. I was just trying to make conversation." He says, his voice wavering now.

"How's your shoulder?" I ask, knowing it must hurt.

"I took some aspirin, after I came back up here. It's fine now." 

"You didn't leave?" I ask amazed. I knew he stayed late but I didn't know he was prone to staying the whole night at the office. 

"No, I got an early start on paperwork." I rub my forehead. 

"Do you even have a life, outside the office?" I ask him. 

"I'm building a boat, other than that no, not really." He replies calmly and smoothly. 

"Yeah." I don't have much of a life either, but I want to, with him. "Is Tony there?" I don't know why I ask it just kinda comes out. 

"No." He replies quickly.

"Good." It's my turn to smile now. "I was pacing in the elevator wasn't I?" 

"Yeah, and like I said it was distracting," I hear a pause, not sure I want to know the rest. "But it was a nice distraction." 

"I didn't even know I was doing it, until you pointed it out to me." I'm glad I'm not there so he can't see me blush at his comment. 

"Yeah I figured that." He said, I can sense the smile is still there. 

"So what, did you just want to call me up and bother me?" 

"I'm not bothering you, am I?" 

"No, I didn't mean it the way it came out." I quickly respond, a little too quickly for my taste. 

"Okay." 

"So you're the only one there?" I ask it's a silly question. 

"I think Ducky's been here all night. But other than that, yeah I'm at my desk, alone." He sounds so sad on the line and so I stay awake and listen. Contemplating getting up out of the nice warm bed, I am currently occupying, throwing on some clothes and going back over there and joining him. Or at least, bring him some coffee. 

"How's your boat coming along?" I ask, not really knowing what to talk about.

"It's fine."

"Good." I yawn; I try not to but fail. I know Gibbs heard it because I hear him sigh on the other end of the line. 

"I shouldn't be keeping you awake, you need your rest." 

"No, wait, please." I try, hoping that he won't get off the line.

"Yes?" He asks, I can tell he's tried by the tone of his voice. 

"Don't hang up."

"Okay." He says, and I smile.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I just don't really know what to talk about." I say, honestly because I don't and I'm not going to say what's on my mind right now because I don't want to get fired, again, or have to resign. 

"Yeah, me neither. I just…." I hear him pause and can hear his breathing. "Not that I minded you know I like it when it's completely quiet and it's just the two of us."

"Wanted to talk?" I gulp.

"Yeah," He says softly. I think both of us know where this direction leads but I'm not sure and I don't think Gibbs is sure either if we want to travel that road just yet. 

"Talking is okay." I say, equally as softly. "Sometimes not talking can be good too."

"Yeah." He breathes. I can't tell what he's thinking, I want to but not over a phone line. For a few minutes we just listen to the other, just breathe. It's comforting to know that he's on the line and he's having just as much trouble trying to talk as I am. I could certainly think of a few things besides talking to him I'd like to do. * Bad Bad Kate. * I scold myself for the thoughts running through my head. 

"Well can I catch another hour of sleep before I join you?" I say, not wanting to let him go, but feeling my eyes start to droop. 

"Sure. Sorry to have bothered you." Gibbs says. 

"It's no bother." I say and hang up, rolling over onto my side and suddenly the room seems colder to me. Probably that's because he's gone again, but he really isn't gone because a part of him seems to stay with me whenever I'm not around him. I just hope the same rings true for him too. 


End file.
